Love is Patient, Love is Kind
by ComicKid99
Summary: Jemma Simmons has never met her best friend's roommate, even after 2 years, and has never understood why. The truth is, it's because they're absolutely perfect for each other, but not as they are right now.
1. Chapter 1

**Love is Patient, Love is Kind**

As Jemma Simmons walked into the diner she had never been in before, she was uncomfortable. She didn't like trying anywhere knew just in case she hated the food but felt obligated to stay and have a full meal; she detested upsetting anyone in any way.

Her friend Skye had told her it was her favourite place to go as they did the best burgers in all of London, but she was still wary. A lot of advice she had received from Skye in the past hadn't worked out well in the end, from blind dates that ended horribly to skipping a lecture at university for the first time ever due to a hangover, leading her to end up missing a surprise talk from Tony Stark himself (she'd never stop kicking herself for that blunder).

It was her second year at university studying biology, and she loved it. She felt like the only person in the world who loved going to lectures and taking tests and exams; it gave her a thrill. Of course, her love of studying meant she didn't have too much of a social life and her only real friend was Skye, who was studying computer science and met Jemma by chance when they got talking in the line at the cafeteria. If Jemma wasn't at university or at her own small apartment studying, she'd be at Skye's apartment undertaking a minimal amount of social interaction.

However, Skye always had her heart in the right place, so when Jemma decided to get out of her apartment and see the city while Skye spent the day with her boyfriend, Lincoln, she followed Skye's advice to have dinner at May's Diner on Oxford Street.

As she sat down at a small but empty table, Jemma took a moment to take in the place. She had to admit that it certainly looked nice, and while it was very busy everyone seemed happy and the atmosphere was quite calm. She appreciated the quintessential Britishness of the diner, the red seating, white tables and blue walls creating a nice looking space. Huge windows showed everyone inside a taste of the busy city life London offered, another way of life Jemma had come to love over the years. Jemma eventually drew her attention to the menu that was already on her table, allowing her to peruse through it. The wide choices of food impressed her, leading her to think that perhaps Skye had made a good choice after all.

Promptly enough, a young man appeared at Jemma's table, wearing a very smart uniform; black shoes and trousers, a slim fit white shirt and a blue tie.

"Hi! I'm Leo and I'll be your server today. Sorry about the wait; we're absolutely packed today." The young man said with a smile in a very distinctive Scottish accent. Jemma smiled back at her waiter, finding comfort in how he presented himself.

"Oh, no problem. I haven't been waiting long at all." Jemma said, noting how exhausted he clearly was after a long shift. She appreciated that he must be a hard worker.

"Good. Can I take your order?" Leo asked.

"Oh, well my friend said the specialty burger was excellent, so I'll give that a go." Jemma said.

"Your friend is very wise. It's delicious. And I'm not just saying that because I work here." Leo said, making Jemma chuckle slightly. She smiled further at the sight of him clearly being pleased he made her laugh.

"Well, I can't wait. I've never been here before but it seems nice." Jemma said, for some reason finding herself wanting this social interaction to last a bit longer.

"I thought I hadn't seen you before. If I'd seen a beautiful girl like you in here before I'd have remembered." Leo said, his face growing red instantly as he processed what he'd just said. Jemma blushed slightly herself, but decided to brush it off to avoid him being embarrassed further.

"And can I get a coke with that?" She asked, acting like she hadn't heard what Leo had just said. He seemed like one of the nicer human beings she'd encountered outside of the university or her apartment walls. She found herself mesmerised by the crystal clear blue of his eyes.

"Oh, uh…yeah, sure." Leo said somewhat awkwardly before taking Jemma's menu off the table to clear some room for her.

"Thanks." Jemma said shyly.

"No problem. I'll, uh…be right back with your drink." Leo said kindly before walking off with a smile. He walked into the kitchen and pinned up the piece of paper with Jemma's order written on next to the pile of current orders for the cooks to prepare before leaning his head against the wall and groaning slightly.

"Embarrass yourself in front of someone again?" Mack, the head chef, asked as he fried some chicken nearby. Leo turned around to face him.

"Yep."

"You can't go one shift without doing that, can you?"

"Nope."

"Well, you're not covered in ketchup and mustard so it can't be as bad as last week." Mack chuckled to himself as he reminisced the situation. Leo could see lots of the other kitchen staff smirking themselves, holding back laughter as they remembered the incident.

"You guys seriously need to learn what sympathy is." Leo said, rolling his eyes and walking out, tutting as he heard the kitchen erupt into laughter the minute he closed the door behind him. He grabbed a glass of coke from the bar and headed back over to Jemma's table, where she was busy staring intently at her phone as he placed her glass down in front of her, causing her to look up at him with a smile.

"Thank you."

"No problem." Leo said, happy that she clearly hadn't judged him for his earlier embarrassing behaviour. She soon returned to looking at her phone, which Leo noticed wasn't actually turned on.

"Are…are you okay there?" Leo asked, hoping he wasn't prying too much.

"Oh, my phone does this sometimes. Occasionally it just doesn't want to turn on so I have to count my blessings when it eventually decides to work after hours of trying." Jemma said.

"Have you tried the reset button?" Leo asked.

"…There's a reset button?"

"There should be. My old phone had a similar problem but the reset button fixed it. May I?" Leo asked, offering his hand out for Jemma to hand him her phone. She smiled and gave it to him, leading him to gently take off the case and inspect it.

"Right there." Leo said, pointing to a hole in the corner of the case. He got a toothpick from the table and pushed it into the hole, after which the phone sprang into life, making Jemma's face light up.

"You did it! Wow, I had no idea about that. Thank you so much"" Jemma said happily as Leo gave her back the phone.

"My pleasure. I'm here to help; it says it on my badge." Leo said, making Jemma laugh again. He'd decided he liked her laugh quite a bit.

"Well, you're my hero." Jemma smiled, making Leo's face redden for a much nicer reason this time.

A while later, Leo was rushing around catering to five tables (and wishing they'd just hire someone to replace Nancy already!) when he spotted Jemma tucking into what remained of the burger in front of her. For some reason he couldn't help but smile at her. He'd seen customer after customer come in and devour May's Diner's famous burger, but the woman before him made it look elegant, something he'd never seen before. He could only hope she liked it enough to keep coming back.

He was impressed enough by how she'd practically eaten the plate alongside the food on it, but he was very surprised and delighted that she had stayed to have dessert as well. As he brought over a giant chocolate brownie with ice cream, he couldn't help but smile as he saw her smile herself at the sight of the food.

"There you go. Enjoy." Leo said.

"Oh, I will." Jemma chuckled.

"So your friend made a good recommendation with this place?" Leo asked.

"I'm never leaving." Jemma said as she put a huge spoonful of brownie in her mouth and started laughing at herself, knowing she'd overestimated how much was on the spoon. Leo laughed at her again. This girl was nothing short of adorable.

"How about I get you a napkin?" Leo smiled as Jemma nodded. He walked off, somehow remarkably less tired at the end of his 10 hour shift than he was at the start. By the time he returned with a napkin and the bill, Jemma had polished off her dessert and gave the empty plate before her a satisfied look.

"I've lived here two years, and only now have I discovered paradise. So many wasted days." Jemma said, making Leo smile again. He couldn't comprehend how someone could be so beautiful and charming.

"Well, you've found it now. That's all that matters. Luckily I found this place after about four months of living here and took my roommate here when she moved in a few years back." Leo explained.

"How long have you lived here?" Jemma asked, curious as to why she felt she needed to know so much more about a waiter she'd known for about an hour.

"Nearly five years now, I love it." Leo smiled.

"There is an appeal to it; it really has grown on me. I expect I'll be coming back here quite often." Jemma said as she reached into her bag for her purse and started gathering money and glanced at her bill.

"Glad to hear it." Leo said happily as Jemma placed the correct amount of money on the tray the bill was on and handed it to Leo.

"That was lovely, thank you." Jemma said as she stood up and got her things together.

"Thank _you_. Enjoy the rest of your day." Leo said with a grin as he walked off and over to the register, putting the money away. He turned back to see Jemma wave at him as she walked out. He instantaneously waved back and smiled until she disappeared into the mass London crowds outside. He turned towards the kitchen to see Mack and the other kitchen staff staring at him before quickly returning to their work, pretending they weren't watching him. He rolled his eyes at them again before taking a sad look at the empty table Jemma was sat at moment ago.

"Holy crap! You must've been waiter of the year, Leo. She left you a ten pound note as a tip!" One of the waitresses, Bobbi, said as she walked by Leo back into the kitchen. Walking up to the table, Leo saw Bobbi was right as he picked up the note and grinned.

He'd never thought he'd ever say it, but scrubbing tables and sweating non-stop for half a day had at last been worth it. Rushing for the window, Leo looked through the crowd to see if he could spot Jemma so he could run out and thank her, but she was already gone.

...

"Why haven't you taken me there sooner? The food was AMAZING!" Jemma exclaimed as she sat on Skye's couch, where she was handed a glass of wine by her best friend as the two ladies sat together.

"Because I know you normally hate going to new places, but I think that'll be our new regular since you love it so much. Agreed?" Skye asked.

"Definitely! That place is heaven on earth." Jemma said as she sipped her wine.

"Good. Though we may have to be careful and make sure to only go there when my roommate isn't working." Skye smiled.

"Your roommate works there? Maybe I can FINALLY meet her!" Jemma said excitedly.

"Calm down; don't get too hooked on social interaction. It isn't your thing, remember?" Skye said.

"True, but I got along with my waiter there today really well. He was actually quite cute. I left him quite a big tip but he did fix my phone. And why is it that after two years I've NEVER met your roommate and you've NEVER told me a thing about her?" Jemma questioned.

"I have my reasons. Anyway, it's getting pretty late, huh?" Skye said, faking a yawn.

"…Are you trying to get me to leave? Why?" Jemma asked. At that moment, the women heard some keys unlocking the door.

"Ah man, that'll be him." Skye said with a sigh.

"Who, Lincoln?" Jemma asked.

"No…my roommate." Skye said reluctantly.

"Wait, HIM? HIM? As in, a male?"

"Yep."

"But you've always called your roommate a girl."

"Yeah, I say he's a girl, you just incorrectly interpreted that as his gender." Skye said.

"After two years you didn't tell me that? How come?" Jemma asked as the door opened and Skye's roommate stumbled in.

"Hey, Skye, you'll never guess what? I actually ENJOYED my shift today!" Came the loud, excited voice as he walked into the living room and stopped at the sight of Skye and Jemma sat on the couch.

It was Leo.

Jemma stood up in shock at the sight of him, her face wide with surprise. Leo had the same expression.

"…Oh, it's you." Leo said, smiling slightly.

"…Hello." Jemma said, still in shock.

"Well, since there's no avoiding it now…Jemma, this is my roommate Leo. Leo, this is my best friend Jemma. You've finally met. Anyway, it's getting late, right Jem?" Skye asked, giving Jemma a look as if to say _you really need to go, like, now_.

"I can't believe this…I…we…" Leo mumbled.

"I…I know." Jemma said softly.

Leo knew he couldn't embarrass himself in front of Jemma twice in one day. He was happy knowing he'd probably see her more often, but it turned out she was his roommates BEST FRIEND! He could have known her for years by now! He decided to just get a conversation going and ignore the look of dread on Skye's face.

"So, um…I…w-what are you guys talking about?" Leo asked.

Skye saw an opportunity to end this encounter before it could even begin by making things so awkward either Jemma had no choice but to leave or Leo would go straight to bed.

"Oh, nothing much, Jemma's just been telling me about how she found the waiter she had at your work today was REALLY cute." Skye said. Jemma's eyes widened and her face grew a deep red, as did Leo's.

"Oh…really?" Leo asked with a short smile he kept well hidden. Jemma hoped the building would collapse on her at any moment.

"Yeah, I'm thinking it was probably that Lance guy." Skye said.

She looked at the clear embarrassment on Jemma's face (which she expected) and also Leo's (which she hadn't) and it became horribly clear who Jemma's waiter had been.

"WELL THIS WAS NICE. GOOD TO MEET YOU. GOODNIGHT." Jemma said, rushing out of the door faster than a cheetah without looking back. Leo watched her go and had not yet decided if he should be embarrassed, flattered, pleased, scared, shocked or a mix of all of those emotions.

"…So that was Jemma." Skye said to break the silence.

"Why…why haven't we met until today?" Leo asked her.

"Coincidence? Or lack of?" Skye said. Leo knew when she was lying.

"You've been keeping us apart on purpose, haven't you? I'm glad I didn't tell you I switched shifts with Grant so I could work today." Leo said.

"You sound ridiculous. And I mean, even more than usual with that accent and what not." Skye said, heading for her room.

"Skye, I know you're lying. What would be so bad about introducing us? I mean, you've never told me a single thing about her no matter how much I've asked!" Leo exclaimed. Skye stayed silent for a moment.

"Goodnight, Leo." She said eventually and rushed into her room, locking her door behind her.

"Skye!"

...

As Skye sat on her bed, she felt a mix of emotions, ranging from regret and annoyance to full on anger and rage. She had her reasons for keeping her two closest friends apart, of course she had, but now her long-term plan had failed.

She'd moved in with Fitz a few months before meeting Jemma at university, so had gotten to know him very well. And from the moment she met Jemma, she knew that the two of them were perfect for each other. Soulmates, even. They liked the same things, had the same views on everything…they hadn't even met, but Skye felt like they were psychically linked or something.

There was however, one problem. Fitz was still an immature fool that had never had a relationship that lasted longer than a month and Jemma had the social skills of a panda that refused to mate. They were perfect for each other, but they weren't _ready_ to be perfect for each other yet. So, Skye had taken it upon herself to change their ways for the better. She knew it would take a long time, years even, but she would train Leo to act a bit more mature and Jemma to embrace her more social side. While she had made a lot of progress, mainly with Leo, her two friends still weren't ready to meet yet, so she'd made sure they'd never met nor heard anything about one another that could taint their opinions of them.

But now they had met before she could be certain things would work out between them. Skye couldn't see it as anything else other than a disaster. Now they knew she'd been trying to keep them apart and Jemma was now going to be a regular at Leo's place of work, there was nothing she could do. She'd have to go with the flow and have faith.

As she finally drifted off to sleep, she prayed to anyone who would listen that her plan could still come together, however unlikely that may be.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, Fitz was sat on a stool in the kitchen, staring into his nearly empty bowl of cereal in a white vest and his blue boxers when Skye reluctantly came out of her room. There was a long silence filled with tension as Skye made herself some breakfast and sat opposite Fitz as she ate.

"…You're up early." She said between bites.

"Didn't want to miss you get up and try and sneak out before we could talk." Fitz said, staring at her intently.

"…Look, Fitz-"

"-Just tell me why you purposefully kept us apart. Am I that bad a person?"

"You know that's not what it is, Fitz."

"Then tell me the truth, Skye."

Skye took a deep breath, deciding to not exactly lie but not exactly tell the truth either.

"I know you'd date her then it wouldn't work out and then I'd lose my best friend because we live together. It's what always happens to girls you date that I become friends with. I'm just…I'm not gonna let that happen with Jemma." Skye stated.

"Skye, it wouldn't be-"

"-Fitz…I, um…okay, you and Jemma can hang out and be friends. But promise me you won't date her." Skye said.

"What? Skye, I-"

"-Fitz, please. Just let this one girl go. Be friends with a girl besides me for once. At least for now." Skye pleaded. After a moment, Fitz sighed.

"Fine. Whatever." He grumbled, shovelling a spoonful of cereal into his mouth.

"Thank you." Skye smiled, hoping she had been given the time she'd need to put her plan back into action.

…

"Date him? I wouldn't date him, Skye, not after I embarrassed myself so much last night! Or rather, YOU embarrassed ME." Jemma said as she and Skye walked down the street towards May's Diner.

"How was I to know someone as pretty as you would actually find Fitz cute? That NEVER happens. All of his past girlfriends have been crazy, I swear. Anyway, I'm sorry." Skye said.

"Thank you. Now do we have to go back in there? He'll be in there and I know how red my face gets when I'm embarrassed; bulls would run at me if they saw me!" Jemma protested.

"Jem, it'll be fine. Just relax. Think about the food." Skye said.

"…Good point." Jemma nodded as the ladies walked in. It wasn't as busy as it had been on Jemma's last visit, but as soon as they walked they almost knocked over the tray Leo was carrying across the room.

"Oh, sorry, I'm-oh. Hi." Leo said nervously as he smiled at Jemma, who smiled back.

"Hi." She replied almost silently.

"So…is there a table free?" Skye asked, trying to break the tension.

"Oh, uh…yeah, in the corner over there." Fitz said, pointing to one corner of the room before quickly heading towards the kitchen while Skye and Jemma headed towards their table. As he entered he saw Mack and Bobbi smiling at him.

"Please don't." Fitz said.

"Mrs Big Tipper is back already? She must be into you, Fitzy." Bobbi chuckled.

"It's not like that. Even if I wanted it to be. Turns out she's my roommate's best friend, so I can't go there." Fitz explained. Mack just burst out laughing.

"Seriously? My God, how do you not have your own show?" He chuckled.

"Bobbi, I know their table's in my section, but can you PLEASE serve them for me?" Fitz pleaded.

"Of course I can, as soon as my lunch break is over." Bobbi smiled.

"Thank you! When's your break over?"

"Let's see…53 minutes." Bobbi smirked. Fitz's face dropped as Mack laughed again.

"I hate you." Fitz said as he walked out and over to the dreaded table, growing even more nervous when he saw Jemma was sat there alone.

"Where's Skye?" He asked.

"Bathroom. Look, Leo…I'm sorry about before. I hope nothing's awkward here." Jemma said shyly.

"No, no! It doesn't have to be. I'm quite flattered, really, after how much of a fool I made myself look in front of you by gushing about how beautiful you were, well, are, and now I'm realising I'm doing it again. Sorry." Fitz said rapidly, shaking his head in frustration at himself. Jemma softly giggled.

"No problem. We both made ourselves look foolish. We're quite the pair. I mean, we're not _the_ pair, like _a_ pair or couple or anything, I mean…now I'm doing it again. Sorry. Besides, Skye talked to me and-"

"-She gave you the talk too, huh?" Fitz asked.

"About not dating you? Yeah." Jemma nodded.

"Well, I guess we're both in the same place then. If I hadn't promised Skye, I imagine I'd be asking you out right now, but I need to respect her reasons for not wanting us to date. But we can be friends, right? I'm Leo. I embarrass myself at least three times a day, work in a diner and a garage to pay the bills and I love Doctor Who more than most of my family." Fitz said, holding out his hand. Jemma shook it with a smile.

"I'm Jemma. I read science magazines for fun, can't dance and…well, I too love Doctor Who. Probably more than life itself." Jemma said, blushing. Fitz blushed too.

"We both love the same TV show…damn." Fitz sighed.

"And just so you know, if you _were_ asking me out right now…I'd be saying yes." Jemma said.

"Double damn."

At that moment, Skye returned to the table and sat back down.

"What're we talking about?" Skye asked. Fitz and Jemma shared a quick glance.

"Nothing, just clearing the air." Jemma smiled.

"Oh, awesome. Well, I'll have a lemonade and the usual, Fitz." Skye smiled as Fitz scribbled down her order on his pad before glancing at Jemma.

"Okay…I'll have the specialty burger again and the lasagne, please." Jemma said. Skye looked at her in shock.

"You're having two meals?"

"Well, I want to try new things but just in case I don't like the lasagne, though highly unlikely, I can have the burger. If I like the lasagne, I can just box it up and take it home to have later." Jemma explained.

"I do that all the time." Fitz chuckled as he wrote down the order.

"Oh, really?" Jemma asked with a short smile.

"…Yeah." Fitz replied, smiling back at her with flirtatious eyes. Skye picked up on the look her friends were sharing.

 _Dear God, they really are a perfect fit._

"I'm getting pretty hungry, Fitz." Skye smiled, finally managing to make Fitz take his eyes off Jemma.

"Right, sorry. Do you want a coke with that again?" Fitz asked Jemma and she nodded. He smiled at the girls before walking off. Jemma watched him go.

"Snap out of it, Jem." Skye snapped.

"Come on, Skye, we have stuff in common! I promise it wouldn't affect our friendship if it didn't work out, but I _really_ think it would! How often do I find a guy that I'M interested in as opposed to having to ward off weirdos?"

"Le-o is a Le-NO. You promised! You can't date him!" Skye said. Jemma sighed and folded her arms.

"Fine." She responded. Skye smiled.

 _Not yet, anyway._

…

That evening, Jemma was in her apartment finishing an essay while eating the remains of the burger from the diner (she ADORED the lasagne as much as she knew she would). Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

 _Who's that? I thought Skye was out with Lincoln tonight?_

She hurried to the door and was shocked to find Fitz standing at the other side, smiling as his eyes met hers. He was wearing a grubby set of overalls and still had patches of grease on his face. She remembered him mentioning earlier that day that he also worked at a garage; he must've gone there straight from the diner.

 _I have never been more attracted to anyone than I am right now._

"Leo? How did you know where I live?" Jemma asked, trying not to blush at her thought.

"Skye's address book. It's the only thing she's organised about. Well, she's actually just forgetful so has no choice but to write things down. I found it lying around when I got home from the diner and came right over. I was excited to see you." Fitz admitted, making Jemma smile.

 _Okay, NOW I have never been more attracted to anyone than I am right now._

"What do you want?" Jemma asked, curious.

"Okay, I've just…I've been thinking about you all day. And I'm sorry in advance."

"Sorry? Sorry for wh-?"

Jemma was cut off by Fitz pulling her close and pressing his lips against hers. She was pretty sure her apartment was going to catch fire from all the sparks, but she didn't care. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he wrapped his around her back, moving one hand onto her cheek. Neither of them had experienced a kiss quite like it; nothing felt more important than that moment. Everything else, all their fears, worries and regrets, they all faded like breath on a mirror.

Eventually, Jemma came to her senses and pushed Fitz away.

"I'm sorry, we…we can't do this, Leo. We promised Skye."

"I know, I'm sorry…I just, I wanted to know what it would be like to kiss you. I _needed_ to know. I was thinking about it all day, and thinking about _you_ all day, and I know it can't go any further but it was driving me mad." Fitz admitted.

"…I've been thinking about you too." Jemma sighed.

"…I should go. I'm sorry, Jemma." Fitz said, walking off.

"Leo, wait." Jemma said, grabbing his arm.

"What?" He asked.

"I, uh…oh, screw it." Jemma said, leaping into Fitz's arms and kissing him again. He carried her back into the apartment as she shut the door behind them, pressing her up against the wall as the kiss deepened. What Skye didn't know couldn't hurt her, right?

…

Jemma woke a few hours later with the same smile on her face she had when she'd fallen asleep. It wasn't even 10pm yet; she giggled with glee at her situation. Wrapping the covers around her more tightly, she rolled to her side and saw Fitz lying next to her, smiling at her.

"Hi." She whispered with a smile.

"Hey. You looked peaceful sleeping so I didn't want to wake you, but I'm glad you're up." He replied, moving a stray hair out of Jemma's eye as she leaned over and kissed him.

"Well, that was an unexpected pleasure. _Quite literally_." Jemma laughed as she snuggled into Fitz's bare chest and he wrapped an arm around her, kissing her hair.

"Believe me, the pleasure was all mine. Also literally." Fitz said suggestively.

"…You've got some moves, mister. Incredible moves. You were _phenomenal_." Jemma said, still out of breath even after a few hours of sleep.

"So were you. My god, that was amazing." Fitz agreed.

"I knew it would be, but now we have a problem." Jemma said. Fitz sighed.

"Skye."

"Yeah. She'd never forgive us for breaking a promise. She's always been funny like that." Jemma said.

"I think it's because of the many broken promises her parents have made to her over the years. She'd hate us." Fitz said. Jemma bent her head back to look up at Fitz.

"I don't regret it though." She whispered with a smile.

"Neither do I." Fitz replied, kissing her again.

"…I do not want to get out of this bed." Jemma said, linking hers and Fitz's fingers together.

"We don't have to." Fitz said, kissing Jemma's neck.

"Oh, _Fitz_."

The way she'd said that was all it took for Fitz to roll on top of Jemma and continuing gently kissing her body. She put a hand in his hair and another on his back as she moaned with pleasure.

She spent the next few minutes saying "Oh, Fitz" quite a lot.

…

"Wow. Again." Jemma panted.

"I didn't think it could get any better than the first time." Fitz said between breaths.

"…Oh god, what are we doing? We're Skye's closest friends. But then we do _that_ and you make me feel like _this_." Jemma said worriedly.

"We don't have to tell Skye." Fitz said.

"But what if she _did_ find out?" Jemma asked.

"She won't. Jemma, I am _so_ into you. It's scaring me just how much. From the moment I first saw you. You are smart and funny and adorable and sexy and every time I'm lucky enough to touch you I'm terrified that I'll stain how perfect I think you are…I am in _awe_ you. I have a thing for you, and with every passing second it's becoming a bigger and bigger thing. And I know that sounds wrong but I don't mean it that way." Fitz said, making Jemma laugh. She stroked his cheek with a smile.

"I adore you, too. You're too cute for your own good and this… _this_ was like something out of a dream. I don't want this to be it for us."

"So…is there a chance this will be a regular thing? If we don't tell Skye?" Fitz asked. Jemma leaned closer.

"Maybe there is." She whispered, kissing him again and enjoying another dose of perfection that Fitz was giving her. They smiled at each other, completely infatuated.

"This went remarkably well considering there's no sexy way to take off overalls." Fitz commented, making Jemma laugh again.

"I love your laugh. It's adorable." Fitz said, making Jemma blush and kiss him again.

"I'm glad you think so." Jemma smiled.

There was another knock on the door.

"Wow, I'm popular tonight." Jemma said.

"I'd agree with that." Fitz said suggestively and Jemma playfully hit him. The door knocked again and a voice filled the apartment.

"Come on, Jem! I need to talk to you!"

Jemma and Fitz stopped dead. It was Skye.


	3. Chapter 3

"Jemma! Open up!"

Skye's voice continued to fill Jemma's apartment. Jemma turned to Fitz with fear written all over her face.

"Hide." She whispered.

Fitz nodded and rolled silently out of the bed onto the floor, crawling around as he struggled to put his clothes back on. Jemma watched him for a moment with an amused smile; he noticed this and smiled at her. Another knock on the door reminded them of their situation and brought them back to reality.

"Jem?"

"Coming, Skye. Hang on!" Jemma shouted as she looked around her apartment for somewhere to hide Fitz while putting her clothes back on herself. She pointed at her wardrobe in the corner of the room and Fitz rushed towards it, kissing Jemma gently before rushing in, making her blush. She finished getting dressed and ran to the door, opening it with a fluster.

"Sorry. I was in the bathroom." Jemma said.

"Judging by how out of breath you are, I'd guess it wasn't pretty." Skye chuckled as she walked in and Jemma closed the door with a muffled chuckle. Skye instantly filled a glass of water for herself and sat on the couch as Jemma sat next to her.

"So, what's up?" Jemma asked, occasionally looking in the direction of her bedroom.

"…I know I could've just called, but…"

"Skye, you can tell me. You're here now." Jemma smiled.

"…Justin called me." Skye said sadly. Jemma sat up straight.

"What? But it's been months, I thought we finally got him to stop! I mean, your relationship ended and I thought we finally made him see that!" Jemma exclaimed.

"So did I! He wanted to meet up. I said no, of course, told him about me and Lincoln. I don't know why he's started up again. I think I'll just change my number and be done with it. It really caught me off guard." Skye admitted.

"Did you tell Lincoln?"

"Yeah, he suggested I come and tell you in person." Skye said.

"Just change your number; finish it before it starts up again." Jemma said and Skye nodded.

"Yeah, you're right. What an ass." Skye said, finishing her water and standing up.

"Yep." Jemma agreed, getting up as she saw Skye heading for the door. She pulled her into a hug and smiled.

"You're okay?" Jemma asked. Skye nodded.

"Yeah. Lincoln's taking me out for dinner to clear both of our heads. I'll see you tomorrow." Skye smiled, waving as she walked out and Jemma closed the door.

"Bye."

A few moments later, Fitz stumbled into the living room.

"Did you hear?" Jemma asked and Fitz nodded.

"She sounded pretty shaken." He said.

"She was." Jemma said sadly. Fitz scratched his head and awkwardly looked around.

"I should, um…I should probably go. Make sure I'm there when she gets back." Fitz said.

"Probably a good idea." Jemma agreed. Fitz walked up to her and kissed her gently, holding her close. She kissed back with a smile on her face before parting from him and looking into his radiant blue eyes.

"I'm glad this happened." Fitz grinned.

"I am too. Are you sure we should do this? Lie to Skye?" Jemma asked.

"Maybe not, but I want to spend time with you and after… _this_ …I couldn't just hang out with you as a friend around Skye. I wouldn't be able to keep my hands off you." Fitz said suggestively, making Jemma blush.

"I imagine it would be a struggle, yes." Jemma smiled. Fitz pulled her close and kissed her again with a chuckle.

"You're adorable." He said, moving a strand of hair out of her eye and taking her hand.

"I want to take you out to dinner. Probably best to go somewhere Skye would never go." Fitz suggested.

"Sounds perfect." Jemma grinned, kissing Fitz again.

He smiled at her as they walked to the door hand-in-hand. Jemma opened the door with a smile as Fitz scooped her up in his arms and kissed her a final time with all the passion he had. They broke apart as Fitz rested his forehead against hers for a few seconds, savouring the moment, before kissing her forehead and walking away, looking back and smiling as he went. Jemma watched him go and gave a shy wave.

She felt guilty for betraying Skye's trust, but the past few hours had been so perfect she could never even begin to regret it.

…

The next day, Jemma and Skye entered May's Diner for breakfast. Jemma was still on cloud nine following the previous night's events, but she had to hide her happiness from Skye for a moment to make sure she was feeling better.

Jemma and Fitz acted as casually as they could as he took their orders and retreated to the kitchen, sneaking a quick wink at her as he walked off while she tried to hide her smile to the best of her ability. Luckily, Skye didn't pick up on anything.

"Lincoln's taking me to get my number changed later." Skye said as she sipped her drink.

"That's definitely for the best." Jemma smiled.

"Yeah; thanks for always being so supportive, Jem. You really are the best friend ever." Skye smiled.

"Oh, it's not that big of a deal." Jemma shook it off; she had to.

"No, it is. What with this and not doing anything with Fitz even though you wanted to…it means a lot to me. It feels good to have people in my life I can trust, like you and Fitz and Lincoln." Skye explained. Jemma felt a slight twinge of guilt flood through her for a few moments.

The rest of the meal went by uneventfully. The food was fantastic as always and the girls both gorged on huge desserts, much to the staff's amusement.

After paying the bill, Skye rushed off to quickly go to the toilet. Fitz saw an opportunity and rushed over to Jemma.

"There's a restaurant called The Amoretto right by the Tottenham Court Road tube station; Mack and Bobbi say the food is divine. Say, 7pm? I'm paying, of course, so don't even bother bringing your purse." Fitz smiled and Jemma blushed.

"I'll be there."

"Great!" Leo said excitedly, taking Jemma's hand and softly stroking it as he was absorbed by her beautiful hazel eyes. The sight of Skye walking out of the bathroom made them jump apart and smile at her as she approached.

"All good?" Skye asked and Jemma nodded.

"See ya soon, Fitzy." Skye chuckled, playfully smacking Fitz's cheek as she walked out followed closely by Jemma, who turned back and smiled at Fitz as she left. He watched her go with a huge grin.

"You're playing with fire there, Turbo."

Mack's voice made Fitz jump out of his skin as he turned around to face his colleague.

"Sorry?" Fitz asked.

"You and the girl being all flirty then stopping the instant Skye's around. That's not gonna end well." Mack commented.

"…It'll be fine. Just please don't say anything to her." Fitz pleaded and Mack nodded.

"Of course not. Can I give you one bit of advice, though?" Mack asked.

"Sure."

"Stop with the weird grin; I have a feeling Batman's on his way to kick your ass." Mack chuckled as he returned to the kitchen. Fitz shook his head as he watched him go.

"That was unnecessary."

…

When Fitz walked up to The Amoretto at 6.50pm, he was delighted to see Jemma was already there, waiting for him outside. She was wearing a low-cut black dressed and, Fitz thought, wouldn't look out of place in a crowd of goddesses.

"Hey." He smiled as he approached her.

"Hi." She replied and instantly kissed him. He didn't complain.

"Wow. Good start." Fitz chuckled.

"I hope so." Jemma whispered, taking his hand.

"And you'll be pleased to know I didn't bring my purse." Jemma added.

"Excellent." Fitz chuckled as the pair happily walked into the restaurant.

…

Skye was sat watching TV that night, bored out of her mind and desperate for Lincoln to come over. Both Fitz and Jemma had bailed on her (Fitz was out with some guys from the garage and Jemma had a migraine) so she was left to skulk about her apartment waiting for Lincoln to finish work.

Finally, there was a knock on the door and Skye rushed to open it, kissing Lincoln as he walked in.

"Fitz is out, so we have the place to ourselves, you know…if you're _in the mood_." Skye said suggestively, tugging on Lincoln's shirt.

"I know." Lincoln replied.

"Know what?"

"That Fitz is out. I just saw him."

"Where?"

"As I was walking to the tube back from work. He was eating in a restaurant." Lincoln explained.

"Oh, right…with the guys from the garage." Skye said.

"No, he was with a girl. No guys in sight." Lincoln corrected. Skye frowned, confused.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Smiling away, he was. Holding her hand across the table; he seemed to be really enjoying himself. I only saw him for a few seconds but he was chatting away to her. Couldn't take his eyes off her long enough to notice me; I did try to wave, but…" Lincoln said. Skye started getting suspicious.

 _No, they wouldn't._

"This girl…it wasn't Jemma, was it?" Skye asked.

"I only saw her from the back, but…yeah, could've been Jemma, I guess. They definitely had similar hairstyles." Lincoln replied. Skye's face dropped and filled with anger.

"…Have I dropped someone in it?" Lincoln asked, worried.

"Two someone's, I fear. Let's go." Skye said, heading for the door.

"Go where?" Lincoln asked.

"To check on my sick friend Jemma at her apartment, where she'll be tucked in bed with a migraine. Where else would she be, after all?" Skye said as she stormed out. Lincoln sighed as he followed her.

"Well…crap."


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning, Fitz rolled out of bed, got dressed and walked into the living area of the apartment with a huge smile on his face as he prepared himself some breakfast. As he finished putting jam on his toast, he turned to face the couch and jumped at the sight of Skye sat there looking at him.

"Christ alive, Skye! You scared the life out of me!"

"Well, we wouldn't want that." Skye commented as Fitz sat down next to her.

"No, we wouldn't. What are you doing up so early?"

"Got up about an hour ago, couldn't get back to sleep. Came out and sat here for a bit." Skye explained grumpily, her eyes still fixated on Fitz. It was making him rather uncomfortable.

"…Are you okay, Skye?" Fitz asked.

"How was dinner last night? You and the guys have fun?" Skye asked.

"Oh, uh…yeah. It was great." Fitz replied.

"How many of you went in the end?"

"About eight or so. It was a good laugh. I hope I didn't wake you when I came in; I know it was pretty early in the morning." Fitz said.

"Of course you didn't. I'm a deep sleeper once I'm gone." Skye said.

"Skye, you're staring at me. Still tired?" Fitz wondered.

"Tired of the lies, maybe." Skye said as she stood up and grabbed her keys from the counter and headed for the door.

"What does that mean? And where are you going? You promised yourself you'd never go outside before 8am." Fitz questioned. Skye turned to face him as she opened the door.

"Well, it seems promises are made to be broken. Right, Leo?"

She slammed the door as she left.

 _She never calls me Leo. And broken promises? What does that even…?_

… _Oh no. Oh, god no._

…

Jemma stared at the message Fitz had sent her, breathing heavily and heart thumping as she sat on her sofa, the book she was reading beforehand now lying on the floor in a heap.

' _She knows.'_

There was a brutally hard knock on the door. Jemma swallowed as she tentatively approached it and opened it to see Skye there, her face numb of any kind of emotion.

"Look, Skye…"

"Don't." Skye snapped as she walked into the apartment. Jemma sighed as she closed the door and faced her friend. Well, hopefully still her friend.

"Lincoln saw Fitz in the restaurant with a girl. Said it could've been you. For a moment I denied it. I just thought 'No, they promised me. My best friends in the world wouldn't break a promise like that'." Skye began.

"Skye-"

"-But we went and checked on you in your apartment; see how your migraine was. You weren't there. Where were you, Jem?"

"Skye, please just let me-"

"Where were you?"

Jemma looked at her friend desperately, but Skye was having none of it.

"…I was out with Leo. On a date." Jemma reluctantly said, looking at the floor.

"How could you just flat out lie to me like that? Both of you? You PROMISED me!" Skye shouted.

"I know, and I'm sorry for lying. But…but I can't be sorry for seeing Leo. He came round a few days ago and we kissed and…well, they escalated and…" Jemma began.

"Wait, you two slept together? When?" Skye demanded.

Jemma looked at the floor again, the silence telling Skye the truth.

"Oh god…when I came over and I said you looked tired out. Had I just missed him?" Skye said.

"…No. He was hiding in my bedroom." Jemma said almost silently. Skye shook her head and gave a displeased chuckle.

"Look, if we didn't have to lie then-"

"-Don't pin this on me, Jem! It wasn't my fault my two best friends betrayed my trust! Walked all over their promise like it was nothing!" Skye exclaimed.

"Look, I'm sorry for lying. But you need to realise you have no right to tell me who I can and cannot date! You had no right to keep us apart for years! YOU were the one who lied to both of us first, so how can you be so desperately upset that we've lied to you. This lie lasted for days, yours lasted for years. We tried to respect you, Skye, but…I couldn't help it." Jemma explained.

"Oh, so _I'M_ the hypocrite? Little Miss Perfect over there! Little Miss 'I'll Never Sleep With a Guy after One Date'! You slept with Fitz BEFORE your first date! I've never done that!" Skye shouted.

"Really? So we're not counting all the times you hooked up with that Ward bloke, who I now know works with Leo and he probably doesn't know about? And if you're telling me you didn't sleep with Lincoln after one date I should congratulate you, because that would be a first!" Jemma snapped.

That comment earned her a slap from Skye, who proceeded to head to the door.

"You know what, Jem? I _knew_ you'd like Fitz, and I knew he'd like you. Even before you two even met! THAT'S why I kept you two apart. You two weren't ready to be together, and you still aren't! He's too immature and you're too unsociable! I've been working on getting you two better but it's still too soon! I did this because I love you two so damn much. So I'M SO SORRY for caring!" Skye shouted, slamming the door as she left.

Jemma stared at the door in silence, tears down her face.

…

By the time Skye returned to the apartment, Fitz was sat on the couch ready for her return and glared angrily at her as he stood up.

"Jemma's crying her heart out! What did you say to her?" He demanded.

"Sure, no 'I'm sorry for lying to you'." Skye said.

"No, because I had the best few days of my life because of one lie after the millions you've told me. Don't give what you can't take, Skye." Fitz snapped.

"Why is no one seeing why I'm upset here?" Skye asked.

"I _do_ see why you're upset and I understand it. We lied to you. Fine, I'm sorry. We both are, but we can't change what we did and I wouldn't want to. You can't be so controlling over us! I know you think you're just being a good friend, but all of this was CONTROLLING, Skye. You can't force us not to date, especially when that apparently was your grand scheme all along! It would be our mistake to make!" Leo explained.

"So…Jem told you everything?"

"She phoned me the minute you left her place. Look Skye, I know you care about us, but you don't have the right to claim power over our love lives." Fitz said as he said back down.

A few moments of reluctance later, Skye joined him.

"I was doing what I thought was best. I didn't want it to go wrong." Skye said.

"I know. Your view was just warped, that's all. How did you know for sure it would go wrong? If you knew we'd like each other even with our faults, then why did us having faults matter? We're human beings, after all." Fitz said.

"I…I never thought of it like that." Skye admitted.

"I know, because once you get an idea in your head you can't let it go. Think about it. I don't wear those silly shirts or tracksuit bottoms anymore; I haven't for years. You haven't noticed that I currently have two jobs where I work hard at with the sole intention to pay bills. You haven't noticed that Jemma speaks up in lectures and hangs out with other classmates from time to time. We did all of those things naturally, Skye. We were always ready to be together because all our 'problems' would always go away. It's called growing up. You had a rough life with your parents, and you grew up quicker than we did, that's all. We just took longer to catch up." Fitz explained.

"That…makes sense, I guess."

"I think you were so caught up with your little plot that you just always saw us as the immature boy and socially awkward girl, and were blind to how much we've changed and grown. I have stubble now, girl!" Fitz said, making Skye chuckle slightly.

"Well, I know you're right." Skye said.

"How?"

"Because that whole speech you just gave was _very_ mature. I guess I have been a little controlling." Skye admitted.

"But that wasn't your fault; it's just who you are." Fitz said.

"I'm sorry." Skye said.

"I'm sorry too." Fitz replied, pulling his friend into a hug.

"So, you and Jemma are serious then? It's all good?" Skye asked.

"It's all good. I _really_ like her, Skye. I like her enough to lie to you about it." Fitz smirked. Skye just smiled as she playfully squeezed Fitz's cheek and stood up.

"Right, I'm off again." Skye said, heading for the door once more after a countless number of times that day.

"What are you doing?" Fitz asked.

Skye turned to face Fitz again, a determined look on her face.

"I need to go to May's Diner. I have one hell of an apology to make."


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning, Jemma was woken by a knock on the door. She knew Fitz was working an early shift at the garage so it couldn't be him, and if it was Skye she wasn't ready for yet another fight. The last one caused her to get barely any sleep as it was.

Upon opening the door, she was surprised to see someone she didn't recognise, though. He was a young, handsome man with stubble (which reminded her of Fitz) and was wearing a May's Diner uniform. Her interest had certainly been piqued.

"Jemma Simmons?" The man asked.

Jemma nodded with a smile, noticing the badge on the man's chest read 'LANCE'.

"I've got a delivery for you, paid for by Skye Johnson." Lance revealed, handing Jemma a large box. As she took it, she could smell a combination of delicious scents from the goodies inside.

"Those are one plateful of every type of cookie we bake." Lance added.

"She bought me a box full of cookies?" Jemma asked, surprised.

Skye never spent money on anything. Ever.

"Actually, love; she bought you everything on the menu." Lance said, gesturing to his side.

Jemma leaned out the door of her apartment and looked down the hallway, where box after box was stacked against the wall; at least fifteen of them.

"Wow." Jemma whispered.

"I'd say. I imagine you'll enjoy the experience more than my back has." Lance commented under his breath as he walked off with a wave.

"Thank you very much!" Jemma shouted after him.

"Yeah, sure." Lance replied, a hand on his back as he walked down the stairs to exit the building.

Jemma didn't know where to start as she began bringing the boxes inside. On one of them she saw a small note taped to the top of the box.

' _An apology by Skye. Part 1 of 3.'_

…

A few hours later Jemma had barely scratched the surface of the mounds of food Skye had bought for her (not that she was complaining; the food was INCREDIBLE) when her phone buzzed. She smiled as she saw the message was from Fitz.

' _Meet me at May's in fifteen minutes. Can't wait to see you xx'_

Fifteen minutes was nowhere near enough time for her to make herself look good enough for herself to approve of her look, but she was Jemma Simmons, so she couldn't be even one minute late in meeting Fitz. If she prepared her clothes, hair and make-up fast enough she'd be fine.

And Jemma Simmons excelled at preparation.

…

Fitz's face lit up as he saw Jemma enter the diner, and he desperately ignored the whistling coming from the kitchen behind him (he's be sure to punch Mack later).

"Hi." Jemma smiled as she immediately found his lips with hers and wrapped his arms around him. Leo kissed back with a smile before resting his head against hers.

"You know what's weird?" Fitz asked.

"What?"

"It feels like we've been doing this for years. I'm so comfortable with you." Fitz grinned like a five year old.

"I feel exactly the same." Jemma whispered with a smile as he gently kissed her again.

"Well, that's good." Fitz commented.

"And you what else is good? Skye bought me everything on the diner's menu and sent it to my apartment. Apparently it's part one of her apology, though I have to apologise to. I said some horrible things to her that I didn't mean." Jemma sighed.

"You don't need to apologise, Jem."

Fitz and Jemma followed Skye's voice as she stood behind the pair with a small smile.

"Yes I do, Skye, I didn't mean any of that, about Ward or Lincoln or-"

"-Jem, please. You were right, okay? I have been known to be…irresponsible…with my relationships, but with Lincoln…I _knew_ it was right, you know? That's why things went really fast for us. Sound familiar?" Skye asked knowingly as Jemma and Fitz looked at each other.

"I guess it does." Fitz smiled.

"Okay, apology part two, the speech…Jem, I'm so sorry for everything. Fitz helped me to see that I had no right to keep you two apart for years and think that I could control who you date and when. You have the right to be with whoever you want to be, and I was wrong to abuse that right. I've also come to me senses and realised that it was always going to work with you two no matter how immature Fitz was or how shy you were when you two met, because you would always grow up into the people that overcame that and were perfect for each other. You were destined to become who you are, and I was so focused on the changes I was making to you that I didn't notice that you'd already changed so much on your own, both of you. I promise I'll stay out of the way of your relationship from now on, and be supportive all the way. Because I love you both and I think you're perfect together. And for everything, all my meddling…it'll never happen again. And I'm sorry. Because above all else, I could never manage without my best friend." Skye said emotionally, and even Fitz had to go his best to hold back a few tears (he'd just gotten the most beautiful girl in the world, and he wasn't going to risk losing her by showing her just how emotional he could get).

Jemma was stunned by the honesty behind Skye's words and rushed to pull her into a tight hug.

"You're my best friend too. I'm sorry, and all is forgiven." Jemma smiled, which was soon reflected onto Skye's face.

"I'm glad we could all move past this; I would never want to come between two best friends. I too forgive you, if you care." Fitz commented and the girls laughed as they invited him to join the hug, which he did with glee.

They soon pulled apart as Jemma wiped some tears away.

"That was a very good speech." Jemma commented.

"Thanks. I wrote it myself then Lincoln helped me memorise it. After correcting my spelling mistakes." Skye explained, rolling her eyes at the last part.

"Man after my own heart." Fitz joked.

"Is that so? Is a man going to give you what I can't?" Jemma teased with a smile, happy she could show her relationship with Fitz to the world with no one against them.

"Absolutely not. You are everything I'll ever need." Fitz smiled as he leaned down and kissed Jemma. She smiled into the kiss as Skye looked away awkwardly, but with a hint of happiness.

"Well, I'm very glad about that." Jemma giggled.

"Speaking of that, part three of my apology has to do with both of you. It's a gift, shall we say?" Skye said.

"Skye, you've apologised enough. We're fine." Jemma stated.

"I know, I know, but I want to do this. But first I need to be absolutely sure…are you two both serious about each other? Like, being a couple and all?" Skye asked.

The smile shared between Jemma and Fitz was more than enough of an answer for Skye, but they gave her more.

"Of course." Jemma grinned as she took Fitz's hand in hers.

"Never been more serious." Fitz added, squeezing Jemma's hand and stroking it gently with his thumb, sending a shiver up her spine.

"Plus, she gives me ten dollar tips." Fitz added with a smirk and Jemma playfully hit him as Skye chuckled.

"Okay then, weirdos. I want to prove that I am one hundred percent behind you two being together, so…here." Skye said, reaching into her pocket and handed a small object to Jemma. She inspected it confusedly.

"…Your apartment key?" She wondered.

"No. _Your_ apartment key." Skye smiled.

"…I'm sorry?" Fitz asked.

"Lincoln asked me to move in with him a few weeks ago, and I was unsure of what to do. So this happening now must be a sign right? I move out, Jemma moves right in. It works out perfectly!" Skye exclaimed.

"Skye, this is madness! No one is happier about me being with Fitz than I am, but we've hardly known each other a week." Jemma protested.

"Exactly! I mean, we've only been on one date, and you think we should move in together?" Fitz said.

"Look at you two, already backing each other up! Super adorable, but you're also super wrong. Jemma moving in would mean you two see each other even more than I imagine you would, plus it would help Jemma get to the diner quicker to feed her face, maybe even get a job here, plus it's closer to university! Plus, technically you've known of each other for years. Come on Jem, take a risk for once!" Skye explained.

"I don't know, I…this is insane, right? Leo?" Jemma asked, turning to Fitz, who appeared to be deep in thought.

"Well…I don't know. There are far _worse_ ideas." Fitz said.

"…Wait, you really think we could just move in together so soon?" Jemma asked.

"…Maybe. It was like Skye was saying it felt right with Lincoln and they moved fast, and we've certainly done that so far…I…I quite like picturing living with you, having you around all the time. It's nice." Fitz said, which made Jemma blush and smile.

 _I suppose there are worse ideas than waking up to my gorgeous boyfriend every morning._

"I know it's a risk Jemma, but I think it's worth taking. I think you know that it doesn't seem quite as crazy as it should, right? Because it feels _right_ , despite everything. Because you're not as scared of social interaction as I still thought you were. I know it's completely up to you, but surely it's worth a try?" Skye said.

"What do you think, honestly?" Jemma asked Fitz.

"Honestly? I'd rather take a risk with you than have it be easy with anyone else." Fitz smiled, and Jemma smiled back.

"…Me too." Jemma whispered happily, closing her palm and holding the key tight in her grasp.

…

Months went by, and Jemma had slotted into Fitz's apartment without a hitch. They had a system going, they saw each other all the time as they got to know each other better and better with every passing second, and they even met up with Skye and Lincoln on double dates on occasion. Plus, Jemma had gotten to know Mack, Bobbi and the owner of May's Diner so well, she'd already been offered a job there for when she finished university and was looking for work in the career she truly wanted.

Everything seemed to have fallen into place, and it was perfect.

One evening, Fitz was still cackling as he and Jemma entered the apartment and settled down on the couch.

"I can't believe I've seen that! Mack made speechless! Fantastic!" Fitz chuckled.

"I only said that a large height doesn't necessarily mean that other… _parts_ …are proportionate." Jemma commented with a smile.

"Yeah, but it shut him up. Jemma Simmons, you are both my idol and my hero and I love you." Fitz chuckled as he kissed her gently.

"Good, because I love you too." Jemma smiled as she kissed him again.

The second their lips parted they realised they'd never actually said those three little words before.

"…We've never-" Fitz began.

"-No. We haven't." Jemma interrupted.

"…Pretty big moment." Fitz commented and Jemma nodded before smiling.

"…I love you." She whispered.

"I love you too." He smiled back happily, leaning in for another perfect kiss from the woman of his dreams. Skye had been a nightmare to put up with, but in the end she really came through. Despite the years they could've had together without Skye keeping them apart, they moved past it; they were just glad that it did happen, and in the here and now, they were together.

Not just that, they were in love, and love is a gift. Love is big and beautiful and brilliant. Love is magical. Love is always there to keep your heart beating.

Love is patient. Love is kind.


End file.
